Street car



L. F. CLERC May 5, 1931.

STREET CAR Filed Nov. ,19, 1928 ATTORNEYg Patented May 1931 v I i p,

UNITED STATES PATENT()FEICEi LEONARD r. OLERC, or n rRorr, MICHIGAN STREET GAR k Application filed November 19, 192a Serial No. 320,336.

The present invention pertains to a novel barrier or: partition 5 :which forms a vestig construction in a street car whereby there are bule 6. In this barrier is a gate or opening provided two separate entrance doors, one 7 permitting access to the seating'compart for the use of passengers who have paid their ment .2, but this gate is controlled bya turnfare before boarding the car, and the other Stile 8. A guard 9 is provided at the side'of 55 for the use of passengers who have not paid the turnstile in order to i prevent injury to their fare, passengers standing in the seating compart- In many cities there are provided so-called' ment. The vestibule 6 is entered by a door safety zones at the more important car stops, 10 dlsposed adjacent the door 4 but at the lo and where a large number of people congreother side of the partition 5. i 60" gate in these zones, particularly during rush In the gate or opening 7 is a fare box 11 hours, much time can be saved by collecting Which is preferably geared as at 12 t0 the their fares on their entrance into the zones or turnstile 8 in 'such a manner as to operate at least before they board the street-car. On the latter when the proper fare is deposited boarding the car they may then pass directin the box. 65"

ly to their seats without being required to In the operation of the car in accordance pass through the usual restricted gate at With the system already outlined, the car is which the fare is ordinarily collected. rought to rest in such a position that the The object of this invention is to provide a door 4 registers with a safety zone or loading street car construction for use in conjunction station occupied by passengers who have alwith such a system. The main seating comready paid their fare. The motorman opens partment has an entrance door which is used Only the door 4, so that the occupants of the by passengers who have paid their fare bezone may proceed directly to the seats 3. fore boarding the car. For the use of passen- At irregular or intermediate stops where i gers who board the car at irregular or interthe passengers do not pay their fare before mediate stops, there is provided another enboarding the car, only the door 10 is opened trance door leading to a vestibule which is so that these passengers must pass through partitioned from the main seating compartthe vestibule 6 and gate 7 and must deposit ment. In this partition or barrier is a gate their fare in the fare box 11 in order to be controlled by a turnstile and equipped with admitted to the seating compartment 2 80" a fare box, and the box is preferably con through the turnstile 8. nected to the turnstile in such a manner that In the vestibule 6 is also built a partition the latter will automatically be operated on or wall 13 which defines the motormans cab deposit of the fare into the fare box. 1 1. At the rear end of the car is an exit door The invention isfully disclosed by way 15 adjacent which is a floating platform 16 of example in the following description and mounted in the floor of the car. This platin the accompanying drawing, wherein the form operates a switch 17 having one termisingle figure illustrates a horizontal section na l connected to the usual trolley by a conof a street car constructed according to the inductor 18 and the other terminal connected vention. by a conductor 19 to one terminal of a lamp The conventional street car structure, in- 20 supported in the cab 14 and within sight cluding the wall, is indicated in general by of the motorman. The remaining terminal-of the numeral 1, and itwill be seen that the the lamp 20 is grounded as at 21 whereby a greater part of the space within the car concircuit through the switch 17 and the lamp stitutes a seating compartment 2 equipped is completed. 9

with seats 3 in any desired arrangement. A passenger wishing toalight proceeds to In the wall of the car'is provided a door 4 the exit door'l5 and stands on the platform which leads directly to the seating compart- 16. His weight on the platform causes the ment 2. switch 17 to close whereby the lamp 20 is {5%) Across the front end of the car is built a lighted, and a signal is thus given to the motorman that at least one passenger is ready to alight. The motorman therefore stops the car at the next car stop and, by mechanism which need not be described here, opens the door 15.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claim.

Vhat I claim is In a one man street car having a rear exit, a seating compartment, a vestibule at one end thereof, a barrier between said compartment and vestibule, entrance doors in the Wall of said car at opposite sides of said barrier and leading respectively to said compartment and vestibule, and a gate in said barrier.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEONARD F. CLERC. 

